Improvement in cartridge-boxes



R. D. HITOHOOOK, Jr. Cartridge-Boxes.

No. 220,377. Patented Oct. 7,1879.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY NPEIERS. EHOYO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ROSWELL D. HITCHOOOK, JR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

-IMPROVEIYIENT IN CARTRIDGE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,377, dated October 7, 1879; application filed September 17, 1879.

. To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, RoswELLD. HITOHGOCK, J r., of Washington, inthe county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jartridge-Boxes and I do hereby declare that the tilting outwardly; and, with these ends in view, my invention consists'of a cartridge-box having the lid or cover so attached thereto at one end that it can be, when opened,swung outwardly, downwardly, and underneath the bottom of the box, and secured in that position, for the. purposes hereinafter more fully and in detail explained.

My invention further consists in the peculiar construction, hereinafter described, for carrying out the broad idea embodied in my invention.

Prior to my invention all cartridge-boxes with which I am familiar have been so organized or constructed that the lid, when open, either requires to be heldin such open position by the wearer,'or, if designed to keep itself open by spring-connections or gravity, the said lid projects from the front or end portions of the box in an unsightly manner and greatly to the disadvantage of the wearer. Another great objection to all cartridge-boxes as at present made rests in the fact that the weight of the contained ammunition tends to tilt the box outwardly from the person of the wearer.

My improved box is designed to overcome all these disadvantages; and I have shown in usual manner of leather or other suitable material, and B is the lid, secured to one end of the box by a flexible connecting strap or hinge, (J, the opposite end of the lid being provided with a strap, D, having a button-hole adapted to fasten over the stud a, secured in the end of the box, the free end of the strap D being concealed within a keeper on the under side of the box.

E E are the cartridges, and F the packing box, in the condition in which they are fur nished by the manufacturer, I) being a block to elevate one row above the other to facilitate withdrawal.

0 is'the ordinary and approved separating pasteboard, and d is a projecting strip of leather or other material to hold the lowest row of cartridges steady when the lid B is closed. F F are the ordinary loops by which the box is secured to the belt G.

In using my improved box, the lid or cover B is opened and swung on its flexible hingeconnection 0 until it assumes the position underneath the bottom of the box shown in Fig. -1, when it is fastened in such position by passing the strap D over the stud or button a. It will be observed that this position of the cover has the efl'ect of lengthening or extending the box in a vertical direction a distance equal to the depth of the lid, which, coming in contact with that portion of the body of the wearer below the belt, where it is naturally more distended, serves to perfectly brace the box, and prevent the objectionable outward tilt of the upper open portion of the box. In other words, it tends to hold the box in a perfectly steady vertical position, so that the cartridges may be readily grasped and withdrawn.

In Fig. 3 I have shown amodification in the mode of attachment of the lid to the box proper,

which consists in securing the flexible strap or hinge G to the end of the box by a pivot or stud, e, so that when the lid is opened sulficiently farit will swing on the stud e forwardly and downwardly, when it is located underneath the bottom of the box, and secured, as shown, by the strap D.

It will be observed that in this modification the cover has its top portion down, and not in contact with the bottom of the box, as shown in Fig. 1. When this modified form of hinge is used, it is desirable to locate the fasteningstud a in the same axial line with the hingepivot e, which is preferably at about the center of the end of the box.

Instead of using the pivoted hinge-connec tion shown at Fig. 3, so as to bring the cover into the inverted position there shown, the hinge-connection shown at Fig. 1 may be sufficiently flexible to permit the twisting of the same, whereby the lid B may be folded in the same position under the box.

I do not wish to limit myself to any particular design or detail of construction in carrying out my invention, the gist of which rests, broadly, in the idea of so connecting the lid or cover of the box that it may be folded or swung underneath the bottom of the box, and there secured, not only out of the way, but so as to serve as a brace or means for steadying the box and preventing the outward tilt hereinbefore referred to as a serious objection.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. A cartridge-box in which the cover is hinged or piv'oted to the end of the body of the box by a flexible connection, and adapted. to be turned underneath the same and secured in position by a fastening strap or button, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A cartridge-box provided with a cover, B, which is pivoted to one end of the box, and adapted to be revolved and turned underneath the bottom of the box and secured in position, substantially as described.

Witness my hand and seal this 17th day of September, 1879.

ROSWELL D. nrronooox, JR. [L.s.]

In presence of-- F. W. SMITH, Jr. WM. (3. MCINTIRE. 

